Maybe the fact that most other romance novels are so shallow and unrealistic - existing in a fantasy world where people have only the safest sorts of interpersonal conflicts - is what makes FSOG read to some people like a Platonic treatise on the meaning of love. It's (technically) deeper than your average romance novel. I can see too how someone might be able to relate to it because they too once loved a messed up little emo boy.
I don't even classify this as a romance novel though, maybe an erotic novel. But then again, I don't really think of the sex parts when I think of this book, it's more about everything that leads up to the sex which I can relate to.
I don't want the movie adaptation to be all about the sex either, that would be really disappointing since it's missing the point of the story. Hopefully they'll show why and how sex is used and what part it plays in communication between Christian and Ana.
I also wouldn't call Christian an emo little boy because it's not like he sits there thinking about his problems or anything, or even gives a hint that he has any insecurities. He only gets depressed when forced to confront things by Ana, but he's usually the cool, mysterious, and sweet Christian around Ana and others. Ana also makes him happy most of the time, in a way he wasn't expecting, but he has to get over his past in order to have a normal relationship with Ana, so he has to confront everything in his life he's pushed away. Before Ana, Christian was never affected by anyone and never had to justify his lifestyle and decisions, and that's why he gets confused and overwhelmed with Ana. He just didn't really share any of his sadness with most people, so people had no idea and he wasn't forced to think about why he is the way he is.
I think that this series is most popular amongst bored wives because they long for the deeply passionate, deeply dramatic relationship they once, long ago, had with their husbands (or, most likely, never had at all). The other group of people who might be enthralled by this work (and there's no way for me to say this without sounding like I'm condescending to you personally, PE) are those who have never had a serious adult relationship at all and are blown away by the expression of all these foreign adult emotions.
Don't worry about it. I've already met a ton of guys sort of like Christian (dominant and with issues) and it's never really affected me because they weren't actually good people underneath it all. I'd never consider my life boring or anything, ever, and I've had guys be passionate about me before, but I don't really feel the same way most of the time and it takes a certain type of person to make me go all out.
I guess what I'm saying is that nothing here is new to me, at all (unlike Ana) XD What is amazing to me about this is how spot on James is about Christian's dominant/romantic/sweet behavior and about Ana's frustration/happiness dealing with someone like him, along with his emotional issues. I'm blown away by how she describes their relationship and how well I relate to it. It really DOES only take words and gestures when it comes from someone like Christian. He's such a rare find even though he's so extreme in the novel, or maybe I haven't met a ton of men with that certain something that I like, not sure. So no, I wouldn't say these emotions are foreign at all, if anything I know them too well (not all the time, but I can see all this happening vividly since I've experienced it) and that's what kills me when reading XD I know the powerful feeling Ana experiences too, when she realizes the effect she has on Christian, and only Christian. Christian has a certain type of passion that I've rarely experienced IRL, even when guys are passionate about me. It's strange, but I remember I could barely describe it to you on Facebook, and you said you couldn't relate to what I was talking about (at least when I'm talking about the behavior). It's just different, although I'm still a bit unsure of what it is.
I'm annoyed though that Ana only used THE WORD in the third book, I was totally wondering what it was before that
It's actually sad that women don't have passionate relationships with their husbands, that's depressing. I didn't even think about it that way.
I'm the type who wouldn't stand for that, I wonder why women would stay in those relationships? They seem unhappy, or at least unfulfilled. I know every day won't be exciting, but I donno, I can't imagine the rest of my life being dull and unfulfilling with my husband. Just the thought of that is saddening.
Finally, it's not that big of a deal, but the blushing annoys me because it represents childishness and being in an arrested state of development. It's immature behavior for someone her age. It's like giggling like a schoolgirl during sex. I can't relate to a woman in her early 20's who blushes once every 60 seconds in the presence of an attractive man like a teenager. It brings to mind a specific kind of weirdo, and while I'm weird myself, this kind of weirdo is not one I can really relate to. If I want to read about the sexual awakenings of teenagers, I'll go read Judy Blume or something.
For the record, she never giggles during sex
Not that I remember, but he likes it when she giggles normally, like if he makes a joke or whatever. He makes a lot of jokes to get her riled up.
He can be such a pig sometimes, GODSFDPSFDPF asdofiasfidjksdkfj. Their email banter can be really cute though. Sometimes it's just plain intense, eek!
She doesn't blush as much later though, but I think it's because she's learned more about herself (I don't want to give anything away) and she makes her stand. She just turns into a different person, srsly.
JUDY BLUME. XD What did she write again? Oh my God, I don't think I've ever read anything of hers before even though she's ingrained in my childhood.
EDIT: Since we're talking about relationships, I remembered this weird couple at Versailles. The boyfriend was like, "Don't ever leave me (as in break up) again because you don't have the knowledge or know how to survive on your own."
That's so creepy
I find out from her that she's actually coming to my university to study this year, and we're like "Omg, classmates!!" I gave her my card XD I donno, her boyfriend seemed weird and stuck up, as if he knew everything. He's weird. They were separated when getting onto the van, and later he was all angry and was like, "I'm making sure I get here first so we sit together
" It wasn't even like, sweet or out of longing.
And when she picked up his jacket from the floor while sitting, he was like, "Why didn't you stand up?" and she had to give an explanation. She seems way too cute for him, and looking at her Facebook it looks like he's a professor at her community college. Eep.